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Albeth
History Albeth is a young nation born in the chaotic years following the Plague. It was formed largely by the multitudes of refugees flooding in from central Panoulis. Despite the relatively small size of the kingdom, its powerful navy and introverted nature has allowed it to weather troubles and maintain some small sense of stability. Albeth is most well known for its extreme isolationism; the only pass into the kingdom through the mountains leading into Avylon is blocked by a massive wall which very rarely allows anyone in. Infrastructure and Geography Albeth is located along the northwestern shore of the Great Southern Sea. It is bordered by the Sorrowspine to the North, the Fahldenn Ocean to the East, and South, and the Imitrine River runs along its Southwestern border. Most of Albeth is covered in the Amberwood Forest. It is soaked almost daily in rain, drizzle, mizzle and mist. In fact, many of the kingdom's people are referred to as the "Blue Folk" as a pun on their personalities reflecting their native environment. It is heavily forested and most of the land is very steep, composed of sheer cliff faces and mountain paths, so there is very little farmland. The people largely rely on hunting and fishing for food. While the roads are well maintained, the uneven nature of the land and many crevices and convienant hiding places make Albeth a haven for bandits. The roads, while well patrolled, are never safe and the kingdom's nobility always travel in wagons guarded by heavy escort. Besides bandits, and unusually large population of direkin haunt the woods and backroads of Albeth. Economy, Military, and Politics Albeth has little suitable farmland, so a large part of its land-based economy is based on hunting. Much of the kingdom's food comes from the sea. Due to it's state of isolation from the rest of the mainland, Albeth has constructed and maintained what could rightly be considered one of the strongest navies of any sea-bordering faction in the world. Most of their military is composed of marines serving as guards on the ships, protecting their fleet from pirates and the navies of rival states such as Kaldur-Khan and the Cendizan Empire. Their land-based army is composed almost of entirely of well-trained militia. Albeth has shaky political ties. It's policies of extreme isolationism has led it to essentially completely ignoring dignitaries of many city-states, and this attitude has put it at odds with the recently formed Cendizan Empire. Albeth maintains respectful ties to the Polis Academia, and many Polis Mages have found Albeth a haven for study and research.. Government and Culture Albeth is ruled by the Leoncardo dynasty of kings, long loved by the people of Albeth and seen as wise leaders and champions of the common folk. The rest of the kingdom's aristocracy relies heavily on the kings good will, as Albeth's small size makes it more difficult for nobles to act as individuals. The kingdom has an unusually advanced administrative system, with efficient and skilled beaurocrats acting at the king's will. The kingdom if quite culturally advanced, likely because many of the wealthy and well-educated elite of the Avylonian Empire fled to the region during the Plague. Many great inventors and philosophers live in Albeth, unrestricted by the Polis Academia. Corruption is a serious issue in Albeth, as the lack of external threats has given rise to much internal strife in recent years. The capital city of Albeth, Einzwald, is a sprawling expanse of maze-like streets and multi-story buildings surrounding a central fortress where the royal family resides. The Redwick Club A dark psuedo-secret in Albeth, known by all but only ever spoken of in hushed whispers and rumours. The Redwick Club is a secret society which rules the kingdom from behind the scenes. Made up of alchemists, mages, and inventors, the Club answers only to the king and have the authority to act both within and without of Albeth as they see fit. The identities of the Club's members are kept secret, though it is made up largely of influential figures within the kingdom who act in their official capacity in public whilst keeping their true agendas secret. The Redwick Club is the closest thing Albeth has to a foreign embassy, sending agents out into the world to enact their will. Albeth